


What Happens in Engineering...Stays in Engineering

by Snorlax_on_USS_Discovery



Series: Others Finding Out [1]
Category: Star Trek: Discovery
Genre: Caring Hugh Culber, Fluff, M/M, Paul doesn’t take care of himself, Relationship(s), Smut, Tilly Sees things she wishes she didn’t
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-13
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-12 18:09:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29388921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snorlax_on_USS_Discovery/pseuds/Snorlax_on_USS_Discovery
Summary: It was Tilly’s first week on Discovery and she’s trying to get used to a cranky boss until one night she sees something she shouldn’t have.
Relationships: Hugh Culber/Paul Stamets
Series: Others Finding Out [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2193972
Comments: 10
Kudos: 33





	What Happens in Engineering...Stays in Engineering

**Author's Note:**

> Minor talk of kinky behavior.

_Engineering 2200 hours_

Tilly was glad her first week on Discovery was over. It had been a crazy ride every time she entered the doors into engineering. Rumors had not prepared the redhead for dealing with her boss who seemed to be in an almost constant cranky mood. She felt like she annoyed Paul every time she opened her mouth, which was often. Tilly hoped she could do something to get on the persnickety lieutenant’s good side, but she was beginning to think that it did not exist.

“Maybe he wasn’t hugged enough as a child, but I wasn’t hugged enough as a child and I’m not like that. Maybe he doesn’t have any friends. If I can be his friend then maybe he can stop being a perpetual cranky pants.” Tilly groused to herself as she walked into engineering at twenty-two hundred hours to get a head start on the next day’s work.

However, something did not seem right as the cadet entered the room. Tilly saw a white medical uniform jacket thrown near the bottom of the stairs.

“What’s this doing here?” She picked up the discarded jacket and placed it on the railing, not wanting Paul to find his domain in such a state of disarray in case he returned to the lab tonight. Tilly’s head tilted in further confusion when she saw a blue uniform jacket and blue uniform t-shirt laid across Stamets’ computer console. There was a tray with a partially eaten sandwich which she found odd because Paul had made it clear there was no eating allowed in engineering. Then she saw a small bottle filled with clear liquid next to the jacket and Tilly was not sure what it was. Though she was not sure if she wanted to know what it was.

“Oh...” Her eyes went wide as the realization of what the discarded clothes and miscellaneous items meant. “Stamets is not going to like this.” Who in their right mind has sex in the cultivation bay? Tilly was about to make a hasty retreat when she heard the door of the bay swish open and she froze.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_Engineering 2100 hours_

Paul rubbed his bleary eyes as he stared at the PADD in front of him trying to make sense of the data Straal had sent.

He was having difficulty comprehending the data, but Paul figured it was because he had been working twelve hours straight and he had not moved from his chair in that time. Paul also neglected to have anything to eat since breakfast. He groaned as he moved as half the muscles in Paul’s body protested any sort of movement. From the back of his head to his neck to his shoulders and down the whole length of his back; everything was tight and stiff. Even Paul’s backside was not immune to fatigue and he tried wiggling it to see if some sensation would return.

“Shit,” Paul muttered when he heard the door swoosh open. “Sorry, I lost track of time. Don’t be mad.” He did not need to turn around to know that Hugh had just walked in and a glance at the time Paul was about forty-five minutes late for meeting Hugh for dinner.

“You're okay for tonight. Be late tomorrow and I will kill you,” Hugh warned as he walked down the stairs. “I bought you a sandwich and some company.” His tone turned warm and caring. “Have you even moved from that seat since this morning?” Hugh shook his head as he watched Paul struggle to turn around.

“No,” Paul answered sheepishly as he reached back to rub the back of his neck hoping to release the tension tightening up his muscles.

Hugh rolled his eyes at his partner’s lack of regard for his wellbeing. “You’re lucky I know you too well. Now eat!” Sometimes Paul had to be dealt with if he was a child. Hugh reached around the stubborn man and placed the tray next to him.

“Thank you,” Paul spun the chair around to face the patient man who spent too much time looking out for him. “You are too good to me,” he smiled and stood up just enough for a quick kiss and immediately plopped back onto the chair. Paul would always be immensely grateful to have Hugh in his life even if he didn’t always show it.

“I know I am and I like having you around,” Hugh said with a sly grin and punctuated his last word with a kiss to the tip of Paul’s nose. “And I plan on keeping you around for a very long time.” This time he finished his sentence with a tender kiss on his forehead. Hugh could feel the heat start to rise from Paul’s face. Even after all these years, Paul blushed sometimes with sappy sentiments as if he wasn’t used to hearing them. “I love it when you blush like that just for me.” Hugh traced the blush with his thumb, smiling as their eyes locked and both got lost in the moment.

“I also bought this,” Hugh spoke as he pulled a small bottle from his pocket. “Massage oil. Your favorite.” He put the bottle on the console. “How about you eat while I take care of your head and neck and when you are done I can take care of your back and shoulders. You can take off your jacket for now.” They could use a hypospray and take the easy way out to help with the stiffness, but why would one do that when you can help the one you love, knowing the reactions it would elicit from them and Paul was always very vocal during a massage. Hugh did love pulling those reactions from him even more so knowing he was the only one who could cause them.

Paul nodded as the plan sounded like exactly what he needed. Of course, he had no problems putting himself in Hugh’s very capable and loving hands. He removed his jacket and placed it on the console next to the tray with his sandwich. “Time to work your magic, my dear doctor,” Paul said with a sparkle in his eyes as he spun around in the chair so he could eat and his massage could begin.

Hugh started at Paul’s temples, gently massaging them with his fingertips. He smiled when Paul sighed with contentment, but he wasn’t sure if he caused that or it was the sandwich.

“Are you going to share what plans you have for us tomorrow?” Paul asked between bites of his sandwich. His eyes fluttered shut as Hugh’s fingers began to massage his scalp and his whole body began to tingle under the skillful ministrations.

Hugh shook his head and laughed, “No. You just have to wait and none of your pouting is going to work. No matter how adorable you try to be.” Hugh moved the massage to the back of Paul’s neck, frowning at how tight the muscles were. He wondered what Paul did during the day to get his neck this knotted up. If he had to guess, the cause was probably staring at the console all day.

Paul pouted hoping that Hugh would change his mind, but he became distracted when Hugh found the sweet spot on his neck. “Oh! That’s it,” Paul moaned and discarded the rest of his sandwich onto the tray. He continued to moan until the man with magic hands was done massaging his neck.

“How does that feel?” Hugh rested his chin on the top of Paul’s head, the slight hint of his shampoo wafted into his nose. It was an intoxicating blend of vanilla and citrus mixed with something that was uniquely Paul.

“Like heaven.” Paul smiled as he leaned back against Hugh’s chest. Moments like this made the war seem far away and he would not mind spending eternity in this very moment.

“Are you ready for the rest?” Hugh asked and when Paul nodded he help his partner remove his t-shirt making sure his fingers tickled Paul’s sides, knowing how ticklish he was in a certain spot right below his right armpit.

Paul huffed his mock outrage, “You are an evil man, Hugh Culber. Just you...” he could not finish his threat of playful revenge before breaking out into laughter.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought,” Hugh replied taking the bottle of oil and poured some onto his palms. He rubbed his hands together to warm the oil before getting to work on Paul’s back and shoulders. 

The reactions were everything and more than Hugh hoped for. He not only took pleasure in helping relieve his love of discomfort and pain but also watching him moan pleasurably.

“Feeling better, my love?” Hugh asked as he felt the last of the knots in Paul’s back loosen.

Paul nodded, murmuring with contentment. “Very much so. Thank you, my heart.” He spun around to face to face Hugh and pulled him closer by the front of his jacket. ”Have I told you lately how wonderful you are?” He tilted his head up with a mischievous grin lighting up his blue eyes.

Hugh tilted his to the side and pretended to think of it for a moment, “I’m not sure. You just might have to remind me.” Two could play the mischievous grin game.

“I will have to show you.” Paul’s hands ran up the front of Hugh’s chest, pouting and sighing that there were too many clothes underneath his hands. This was a problem he was going to have to quickly rectify.

Paul made quick work of Hugh’s jacket, leaving his sleeveless shirt on, and threw the jacket as far as he could. He watched as it landed near the stairs and his hands were back on his lover, carefully going over every inch of skin he could reach. “Let’s move this somewhere else,” he said and nodded toward the cultivation bay.

Luckily no one had yet found the small bottle of lube hidden in there just in case moments like this were to ever arise. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_Engineering 2202 hours_

“Can we go home now?” Hugh asked as he ran a finger up and down the sweat-slicked skin of Paul’s spine as they exited the cultivation bay. 

Paul shivered under Hugh’s touch as his nerve endings still had heightened sensitivity from his post-coital haze. “Uh huh,” he nodded. “Home and straight to bed.”

“I love that plan. Maybe we can use the handcuffs. I can tie you up.” Hugh nudged Paul toward his workstation, taking small nips at his lover’s shoulder that was sure to leave a mark.

Paul moaned from deep within his throat and his eyes fluttered shut. “Facedown so you can pound me into the mattress for the rest of the night.” Be it one of their toys or Hugh, Paul was looking forward to a long passionate night and feeling the after effects in the morning. 

“Anything you want, lover. I have to thank you for the mind blowing fuck you just gave me.” Hugh said with a sultry purr as he pulled Paul against him to show how ready he was to give his thanks.

Paul opened his mouth, ready to say something completely lecherous that would even make the most hardened soldier blush when a clattering sound near the door and saw a very nervous and blushing Cadet Tilly looking like she wanted to run but was frozen in place.

Tilly had watched the scene unfold before her like one would watch a wreck; you want to look away but you cannot avert your eyes. She saw and heard so many things in the last few moments that she would never be able to unsee and learned way more about her commanding officer and Dr. Culber than she ever wanted to know.

Stamets was way paler than she expected and not at all what she expected him to look like without a shirt...not that she ever thought about that.

Stamets liked being handcuffed...that mental image was going to take a while to process...if ever.

Culber was not at all what she expected. He was not the quiet mild-mannered doctor she thought he was and he apparently had a thing for prickly scientists.

Uniforms hid a lot and that white sleeveless shirt left very little to the imagination.

“I didn’t see anything. I don’t know anything,” Tilly spoke quickly almost too quickly to be understood. She covered her eyes with her hands to show that she did not see anything or more like she did not want to remember seeing as they were probably old enough to be her parents. And you don’t want to think about your parents having sex.

Tilly’s exit from engineering was less than graceful as she tripped over her own feet and nearly fell over. But she soon found her way out, trying to put this experience out of her mind...far out of her mind.

“Well, that is a new way of traumatizing my staff.” Paul was amused and slightly embarrassed, but mostly amused.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next morning Tilly could not look at Paul in the eye when he came into engineering almost an hour late, looking tired, a content smile on his face and walking a little strangely.

Later in the day, Tilly got an insight into the true nature of Paul’s relationship with Dr. Culber when she accidentally overheard Paul’s side of a comm call in the cultivation bay.

“Happy Seventh Anniversary, Hugh. Why didn’t you wake me before you left?...I’ll be home by then. I’ve already set a reminder...I love you too.”

Seven years? Tilly had assumed they were a ship born romance, not a long term relationship. That bit of news greatly impacted the way she saw her commanding officer for the better, showing there was much more to him than the irritableness he showed. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading.
> 
> Kudos and comments are always welcome. 
> 
> Thank you to my enablers at the SpaceBoos discord for helping with parts of this.


End file.
